Velveteen
by Sub-Atomic Grape
Summary: Things are tense after the July mission, and the holes in their memories don't help. While piecing events together, Akihiko and Mitsuru are forced to question how they've changed, and if their relationship will be the same once they find the truth.
1. Chapter 1

**(Author's note: My first Persona 3 story, and because of that many thanks are due to fishofnakedness for the excellent beta work. The story wouldn't be half as good without her suggestions and trouble shooting, or even completed. For everyone else, hope that you enjoy this first try at Akihiko/Mitsuru fiction. (With a title shamelessly stolen from a Yoko Kanno song.)**

**July 14****th****: Quick revision, fixing some grammar errors.)**

* * *

Akihiko decided that the first thing after boxing club, he'd look into getting a new watch or have his current one fixed. He privately suspected that the thing could only take so many forays into Tartarus or sneak attacks in the city without getting some damage. It wasn't a surprise that it was slowly losing seconds every time midnight stopped and reset.

That didn't make it any easier to stay cool and collected when Mitsuru came in one minute ahead of the hour. He'd planned to excuse himself from the lobby before then, saying that he needed to get some study time in. When he heard the door swing open, and felt a breath of warm July air sweep through the opening, his first thought was that it was Minato coming back from wherever he went for the afternoons.

His hopes were dashed once he looked up and saw who was standing in the entry way. Mitsuru's helmet was tucked under her arm, and even though she'd just stepped inside, there wasn't any trace that her hair had been mashed under it. Akihiko knew how she pulled off that little trick, though; he'd seen her, after motorcycle rides checking her reflection in the mirrors and making sure her hair was sitting just right. Using that little rectangle of glass to perfectly guide her fingers through it-

No. He was not going to focus on ANYTHING that had to do with fingers, hair, or any combination of those things.

Akihiko couldn't help but notice that as primed as she looked, her blouse and ribbon looked ruffled, like she'd been riding faster than usual. He didn't know just why that one little off detail worried him…But it did. Mitsuru Kirijo was a thorough perfectionist when it came to the appearance other people saw. Having her overlook something like that felt deeply wrong.

No one else seemed to notice it, though.

"Hey, senpai." Was Junpei's greeting, as the junior leaned forward in his seat to give her a quick wave. Then he promptly sunk back into his chair and went back to his game. Yukari only gave Mitsuru a hesitant nod from her spot on the sofa, before turning to Fuuka and speaking with her in a quiet voice.

"Good evening, Iori. Takeba, Yamagishi." She greeted them all in turn, mostly with just a nod of the head and a single name, until she got to him.

"Doing well, Akihiko?" He wondered if she paused with him for a moment longer. For a second he could swear that she was looking for something when she watched him.

"Y-yeah." Was all he could manage before going back to the gloves. He let his eyes drift up when he was sure she wasn't looking at him. He was surprised to see that she was pausing over the bookshelf, and actually looking at the titles. There was sign number two that things were off; he'd seen her there enough that he knew she'd memorized every single title, and their order. She knew all the books there by heart, to the point she didn't need to look at them to make a choice.

"Arisato isn't back yet?" She didn't glance at the others as she made up her mind and slowly pulled out one of the books.

"No, I'm afraid not. At least, I haven't seen him yet." Fuuka chimed in, glancing up over her laptop.

"He was out with a friend, heading for the mall the last time I saw him." Junpei remarked. "Not surprising, though. He's mister popular, remember?"

"Junpei!" Yukari shot him an angry look. He responded by rolling his shoulders in a shrug, and then pushing another button on the handheld. "What? I'm just statin' the facts." The level jingle filtered through the lounge as he went back to playing, and the junior was off in his own world again.

Akihiko found himself looking over to Mitsuru; it had become a habit between them whenever they watched the new trio interact, or talk about each other. But this time, he stopped short and found himself looking at the lamp above Junpei's head.

"Nothing to apologize over, Yamagishi." Mitsuru replied. If she'd noticed the tenseness that seemed to be building between herself and him, she wasn't talking about it. "I just wanted to tell him I won't be going to Tartarus tonight. I'm still feeling drained from last night, so…" She left the rest unsaid, and out of the corner of his eyes he could see her tuck her book under her arm.

"Unless you were planning to go, Akihiko?" He dared a look all the way at her and saw that Mitsuru's eyes were looking _past_ him. Focused on something just above his head. He didn't understand why that felt like the third warning of something wrong, but it did.

"…No." He admitted. "I'm not in the mood for it tonight." The only response he got from that was a nod, and then she walked straight past him, eyes still fixed on some point on the wall. He could hear her boots click up the steps to the upper floors. Akihiko tried to put both the sound and conversation out of his head, and go back to looking at the boxing gloves and focus on the needle work.

His off timed watch told him that he managed to last nearly ten seconds before he gave up. His sides complained as he stood up, and he made a quick promise to stretch them out once he was back in his room. "I'm calling it a night." Was all he said before turning around and also headed for the stairs. He hesitated at the landing, to make sure that he had a good amount of distance between him and Mitsuru. As he waited and counted off a few more seconds, he could hear snatches of conversation from the lobby.

"Skipping a night is fine by me." That was unmistakably Yukari. "I don't want to do anything other than sleep after that ten-twelve Shirakawa-"

"Ah, ah! That would be ten-TWENTY Shirakawa Boulevard." Junpei's voice cut in.

"…You pick the stupidest things to memorize. Fine," Yukari said in a huff. "Ten-_twenty_ Shirakawa Boulevard-"

By then, Akihiko was climbing the stairs.

o-o-o

Outside, the temperature had soared to eighty by lunchtime, and kept on climbing. The sky was mercilessly clear, while the sun and air were doing their best to turn Gekkoukan's carefully manicured and sprinkled lawns into hay instead of grass. Some of that heat even managed to work its way through the cracks of the gym doors, but was swiftly destroyed by the air conditioning. Akihiko felt distantly thankful for that, as he tried to blink sweat out of his eyes without breaking his rhythm on the punching bag.

He knew that there had been a lecture in class, and Akihiko dimly recalled writing down assignments for the week, but that was the limit of his memory. And for all he cared, everything outside of his fists and what they were hitting could stay blurry. His minute-off watch lay in his locker, forgotten, along with any awkwardness from that night before. Instead of those things, he had the satisfying feeling of his hands smacking into a bag full of sand, and the only thing he had room for in his head was lining up the next punch, and the next.

"Senpai, did that punching bag do something to you personally?" One of the second years piped up behind him.

"Don't be stupid." He managed to laugh a little when he said that, although with how fast he was breathing it came out shaky. The chains the bag hung from also squeaked in response as it swung back and forth. When it got close enough Akihiko went back to pummeling it, working out the stress coiled in his back and arms the best way he knew.

A night that didn't involve Tartarus left him feeling tense. A night after that meeting in the lobby _and_ no outlet made him feel completely wound up. And a day of nothing but sitting and enduring lectures didn't make him feel any better; now he was dedicated to sweating out every ounce of his nervous energy until there wasn't anything left. The bag shuddered as his fists kept flashing out, and he silently counted, letting himself fall back into a rhythm of one-two.

Over that mental count, and just past the blood hammering in his ears, he could hear the other club members as they drifted towards the locker room Their voices gradually blended into each other, and finally weren't any louder than the _smack_ of his knuckles hitting the bag. He ignored anything outside of that sound, happy to have enough breathing room that he could finish his own work out.

The bag was still creaking on its chain when he finished, and seemed to sag a little more than it had before. Akihiko felt like he could match it; the muscles in his arms and back felt spent, but it was a gratifying feeling. And one that wouldn't last after a few stretches.

He rolled his arms and shoulders, wincing when he felt a ball of pain under one of them. Must've pulled something during one of those haymakers.

"…Careless." He growled, slowly letting his arms fall back to his sides. The knot stayed in his shoulder, his muscles stubbornly telling him that they wouldn't forgive him until _after_ a good stretch and an hour of soaking in hot water.

In the end, a quick shower in the locker room turned out to be enough. By the time he twisted the tab to shut off the water, the pain didn't feel half as deep or as bad. Even the steam felt good, as if it was seeping into what was left of the knot and rubbing it out. Good enough that he wasn't in a hurry to air out the room as he slipped back into his uniform.

He gave his arms a few more test swings, making sure that the forgiveness had been total. His mind was more on them, so he didn't quite realize when he stepped back out to the sinks and entrance. The only thing that made him realize that change was when he glanced up, saw the long mirror set in the wall, and how it was fogged over.

The surface was a milky white, and something about staring at it but not being able to see himself made him swallow. His thoughts seemed to blur along with the reflection, suddenly getting pulled back. Back to...

_He only has enough time to suck in his breath when he sees the mirror. The room, the furniture, all of it is reflected perfectly._

_It's just the actual people that are missing in it._

_He tries to yell out that there's something wrong, but the words die in his throat and nothing comes out. The room spins around them, and the green scurries away from the corners of his vision, replaced by white. The floor melts away under his feet and he can feel gravity pull at him._

_Akihiko can feel himself jerk out towards Mitsuru, but he isn't sure if it's to pull her close and provide a shield or push her out of the attack._

_It doesn't make a difference, though. He can only feel his grip on her arm, and then the room explodes around them in a blaze of light. His balance is lost and he plummets, feeling his fingers dig into Mitsuru's sleeve and the air blast past him._

_Then something crashes into him, and suddenly he isn't feeling anything._

"Sanada?" A blast of cold air chewed at all of his exposed skin, and even under his shirt his skin started to prickle. It yanked him back from that memory, leaving him standing in the bathroom and looking at a fogged over mirror.

"Hey, Sanada, you okay?" He managed a nod, not trusting his voice.

He still couldn't see his reflection for all the steam. On impulse, he pressed his thumb to the glass and dragged it across. The streak was just wide enough for him to see his eyes.

o-o-o

When Mitsuru stepped into the library, she could tell that the feeling of panic and dread hadn't spread through the school yet. Other than the receptionist at the desk and a few older students, Mitsuru was practically alone. The bookshelves stretched out from the library entrance, almost like the halls of a fortress; empty and almost regally imposing with all the books they held.

She gave it until the next day, or Friday tops, before the reality of finals came crashing down and library became packed. Knowing that, she was determined to savor her calm moment as much as possible. Mitsuru gave the librarian the customary nod, a quick greeting to the other seniors gathered around their usual study table, and went straight for the book shelves.

Less then a minute and only three book choices later, she was at her own table. All three books made a satisfying thud as she set them on the table, and the pages moved with a whisper as she opened the first one.

Although in ten minutes, she closed that one with a muffled clap, and switched over to the second. Even less time later, the same thing happened and she switched over to the third, feeling more agitated each time.

Because it didn't matter what book she chose, or which page she turned to. Her eyes kept drifting between the lines of words, and she found herself looking at something other than blank paper.

_Like an image slowly coming into focus, she starts to take things in. Her thoughts feel slow, blurry, the same as her eyesight, but as she blinks, both start to clear up. The first thing is the bright red that comes with the blood on the walls, then the feel of the bed sheets…And Akihiko's hands on her sides, bare skin against skin. She can feel his fingers tracing her ribs, although his motions start to go still as she watches him._

_Akihiko's eyes are wide open, staring at her in confusion. For a moment, she wonders why he's stopped. Whatever it is he's doing, it feels amazingly calming, almost like she could relax and forget about…_

_About-_

_"The Shadow."_

_That comes out in a whisper, right before things come crashing down around her._

_"A….Akihiko-" her breath catches in her throat, along with the name. He still hears it, and her voice makes him flinch back. His hands leave her sides with a yank, and he almost falls off the side of the bed when he pulls away from her. His motions are frantic as his hands scoop up his clothes-_

_And with a nasty jolt, Mitsuru realizes she isn't in any better shape. Her blouse, her skirt, all of it is laying on the floor in a rumpled heap of fabric. The only thing leaving her modest is her undergarments, and her fingers shake as she also pulls her clothing back on, staring at Akihiko._

_She can't figure out which is worse; what might have happened, or the fact that he won't look at her._

Her eyes itched, telling Mitsuru that they needed to blink. Once they opened again, she was back in the library, still looking at the pages of her third book, and the empty notepad next to them.

Mitsuru prided herself on efficiency, so only allowed herself thirty seconds to look over both, and decide that she'd need to check them out for later study at the dorm.

She wished that her thoughts could also be so easily managed, and shoved into the back of her mind the same way the books slid into her bag. Instead they buzzed around in her mind, and Mitsuru stepped through the library doors feeling almost like they were chasing her. Her thoughts whispered in the back of her mind, but that was all, and it left the space between the two battles nauseatingly blank.

The squeak of metal on metal cut into all that mental noise, and Mitsuru glanced up with a start. The doors at the end of the hallway had been pushed open, and her stomach lurched when she saw a familiar face stepping through them.

o-o-o

The world wasn't feeling kind towards him today. That was the only thing Akihiko could think of as he almost blundered into Mitsuru. At least his feet were reacting, even if his mind went blank as he saw her. He jerked back, and managed to neatly avoid her _and_ bump into the door, making it swing shut. The door slid back into place with a dull **clnk**, echoing off a hallway that had gone surprisingly empty.

"I'm surprised to see you here." Mitsuru said to fill the silence. Something about her didn't make him think of Mitsuru the S.E.E.S commander, or even student council president. Maybe it was the how she was shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Just needed to take a short cut." He offered.

"You took a short cut, Akihiko? When you could've jogged for an extra five minutes instead?" It was hard to tell without looking at her face, but Mitsuru seemed genuinely surprised.

"Well…No, not normally." He managed, wondering when he'd started tripping over his words. His mouth felt like it had been shoved full of cotton, making it hard to speak. "I just…Didn't feel like it today."

The one thing that he was thankful for was that they were in an empty hallway. Because at that moment he didn't think he could survive a school hall full of classmates. It was bad enough with just Mitsuru looking at him, and he felt like anyone could tell what had happened between them with just a quick look at his face.

"Akihiko Sanada, do you really expect me to believe that?" Over the years he knew Mitsuru, Akihiko had learned to pick out that odd lilt in her voice, which always happened when she was trying to force a mood. (She promised that it always worked on executives, even if it never did on him.)

So when he heard her voice catch, he found himself looking up at her, to ask what was wrong.

Except, when he met her eyes, he was suddenly falling through them…

…_And his eyes are suddenly filled with red when he opens them. Red satin bed sheets that rub at his face, and blood splatters that run down the walls and collect in the corners of the room. Those, he hardly notices. His eyes are fixed on who's next to him, and how her hair spills out over the bed and pillows. It looks richer and smoother than the sheets, and he finds himself tugging off one of his gloves to make sure._

_There's something in the back of his mind, trying to whisper that he should be doing something…But it gets drowned out as the mattress creaks, and the covers sigh as Mitsuru starts to move when his fingers just brush against her face._

_She stirs as he touches her bangs, and something about her face causes a ball of nerves his chest to lurch. His face goes hot as her eyes flutter open-_

And it burned even more when he saw her flinch, and take a step back. She probably would have moved away even more if they weren't hemmed in on both sides by the hallway.

Mitsuru had taken several steps back and away from him, trying to stretch the distance between them to the limit. The hallway pressed against her after only three steps, and as he watched her he felt his shoes bump into the wall behind him, followed by his back. Akihiko realized that Mitsuru's face was bright red, competing with her hair and the blush matching his own. It took him a moment to wonder why she looked so flustered, and another for his mouth to remember how to ask.

"Mi…tsuru?" In the end, it didn't matter that he got the words out, once he saw her eyes widen. It pulled him back to the locker room, to that one streak in the foggy mirror that let him see his eyes…Which, like hers were wide, slightly terrified, and very confused.

She wound up getting a full sentence out first. "Is there something bothering you?"

Maybe it was for the best that the hallway felt so tight. He doubted he'd be able to hear her over the blood roaring in his ears if they were much further apart. "Yeah, but…I can't talk about it right now."

He'd prefer not to _think_ about it, either. His thoughts couldn't decide whether they were eager to comply or rebellious, and kept the memories swirling around in pieces inside his head.

Looking at her, he had to wonder if she had the same thing happening in her mind.

He felt his nails dig into his gloves, and focused on that instead of his fragments, or asking Mitsuru if her memory was any better than his.

"I've got it under control though." He offered when he saw her face. At the moment, he didn't know why she looked hurt, and why seeing that was leaving his insides in knots.

"I…" He could distantly remember how, in the past, it was almost a reflex Mitsuru had with distancing herself from something upsetting, or put her off kilter. Before, that had annoyed him. But now, as his pulse kept trying to drown out his thoughts or turn his face bright red, Akihiko suddenly had an appreciation for knowing when to retreat. His feet were already taking a few tentative steps towards the exit, all while he tripped over his words.

"I'm sorry. I-I mean, you caught me at a bad time. I need to get some work done." His steps were getting ready to change into strides, but he had enough time to see her nod and hear her say, "Of course. I…Have my own things to see to. I'll see you back at the dorm."

He wondered why something that was so typical to hear made him so nervous, and if he imagined the same worry in her voice.

o-o-o

_When Mitsuru opens her eyes, she isn't sure where she is. It only takes a heartbeat to decide that the location is unimportant. She's more interested in finding out who is next to her, and determining the origin of that odd twinge settling in her belly._

_Then she rolls over, and finds herself pressed against that warm body she could just feel at the edge of her skin. Her eyes drift up, and catch a familiar flash of white hair, and a bandage. She's vaguely aware that Akihiko is stroking her hair, and a small part of her wonders if that's why his gloves are off. But what she's more interested in is his eyes, the way he's looking at her, and how it oddly echoes what she's feeling. There's a strange tenderness behind them, and it turns that spark in her stomach into a sweet, syrupy feeling that starts to sink into her blood and flow through her._

_She turns her head into his hand, but tries to keep her eyes on him as she reaches out._

_Her hands feel clumsy as she works at the buttons on his vest. Her fingers either move too fast and trip over themselves, or get caught up in one of his buttons and go agonizingly slow to get it undone._

_She should feel embarrassed over how clumsy she is, but all she can feel is eagerness . Her blood is pounding along with her heart, a marching beat urging her to hurry, hurry._

_Akihiko, by contrast, doesn't seem to be having any of her problems. Maybe just because he doesn't have two layers of clothing to worry about, but he's finished by the time she's getting his vest off. He cooperates though, and shrugs out of it, even helps her with his shirt. Mitsuru feels a grateful, pleased noise working its way out of her throat. He's always been helpful like this, and she wonders why she's never considered it so deeply before. And now-_

_Now…_

Her memory was still being stubborn with her. It had coughed up one single, frustrating and embarrassing image while she and Akihiko exchanged stares in the school hallway, before deciding that was enough.

She had to conclude that it was for the best she hadn't seen Akihiko since that chance encounter. That incident with the Shadow had seemed to rattle something loose in his balance, and had left him more awkward than usual. Mitsuru didn't think she was imagining a faint echo of that in herself; there was no mistaking the difficulty she had with making eye contact, or speaking for long whenever it came to her teammate.

She had been truthful in that exchange, however. She had things to see to as well, back in the dorm.

Yamagishi could be surprisingly difficult to locate when she put her mind to it. There had been no trace of her in the lobby, no answer when Mitsuru knocked on her door. It was only luck that she found the newest S.E.E.S recruit in the command room, when Mitsuru went up to leave a message for her. When Mitsuru opened the door, she didn't even register that there was someone else behind it until she heard the rhythmic clicking of a keyboard.

"Yamagishi?"

Fuuka started when she heard her name, but did an admirable job of not dropping her computer, and even managed to click it shut and turn to face Mitsuru in one quick, if jerky, motion.

"A-ah, Mitsuru-senpai." Fuuka kept her eyes locked on her as she spoke, and Mitsuru wasn't certain just how she felt at getting the junior's undivided attention. Part of her felt deeply flattered, and another part wished that Yamagishi had something to focus on other than her, and what she was about to ask. But that didn't keep Mitsuru from walking the rest of the way into the room, letting the door swing shut behind her.

"So this is where you've been, Yamagishi?" She didn't give Fuuka room to respond, still speaking as she walked. "I was hoping to speak with you."

She wasn't surprised when the newest S.E.E.S recruit sat up a little straighter, and it reminded Mitsuru to also keep her shoulders back and head high. It gave her something to focus on instead of the thousand thoughts screaming how bad her idea was, and that she should simply grab her library books, lock the door to her room, and stay there until she'd managed to drown everything else out with fifteen pages worth of notes. For a moment, Mitsuru was tempted to try that, but reminded herself that the books had already failed at occupying her thoughts yesterday, and it was unlikely to be any different this time around.

"You see Yamagishi," she said instead, trying to make her tone sound calm and force the same feeling to settle in her stomach. "I was hoping that you could share your observations on the night of the seventh." The other girl looked bewildered, and as Mitsuru took a breath to continue, she took that as a cue to let her words spill out.

"M-Mitsuru-senpai, I'm really sorry. I'd be happy to share but…That…I mean, if I'd realized what was happening sooner I'd-" It was surprising how the junior's words flowed out quickly at first, only to sputter off a breath later. But even if it was fascinating, it was costing Mitsuru precious minutes. And she wanted the encounter over with as quickly as possible.

"Don't stress yourself right now, Yamagishi. I can hardly blame you, and I don't think anyone could have…Predicted what happened."

This had played out much more elegantly in her head. Greet Fuuka, milk her for information, and then graciously thank her for the conversation before leaving. Standard procedure for business meetings and for measuring up new partners for the Kirijo Group.

"Actually, I…" The only hitch in this plan being how the memory of Akihiko's worried face stayed lodged in her head. That image could've been stuck in her throat too, as hard as it was to get the words out.

"You see…What I'm concerned about is…" Her mind blanked, and she fumbled for words; whether to actually ask Fuuka her question or hold off on it, she wasn't sure. Yamagishi broke eye contact as she sputtered, staring at the top of her computer instead.

"Mitsuru-senpai…I…Was wondering if something happened to you and Akihiko-senpai." Mitsuru stared at Fuuka, and had to move her lips several times before she could form a word.

"How-?" The other girl flushed, and stared intently at the logo on her laptop.

"Things just seem…Strange with you two. I-I'm really sorry if I'm _prying_," her voice shook as she said that word. "But I noticed in the lobby-"

"You do notice a lot, Yamagishi." She tried to make it sound like a compliment. She couldn't quite catch Fuuka's reply, which was muttered or stumbled over in equal turns.

"It is quite possible that something happened." Mitsuru scanned over the monitors and books on the side wall, more as something else to focus on than anything else.

"That's why I'd like your assitance, Yamagishi. I'd like to know exactly what occurred…" She spoke to the book case, and slowly told her eyes to slide back over to Fuuka. "But I don't trust my memories on it." At Fuuka's confused look, she continued. "I can't fully remember what happened, between seeing that mirror and meeting with the others. My head feels-" She stopped when she saw Fuuka's mouth suddenly go into an 'o' shape. "Do you understand me now?"

"Something like that, although I don't know how much I'll be able to help. I felt something like that with the others. When I tried to reach Minato and Yukari-chan, there was something…" Mitsuru watched as Fuuka trailed off, searching for the right words. "There was something clouding their thoughts. Like there was…A sort of fog. I couldn't see through it, or really hear anything but echoes. And if I tried calling to them, it was just swallowed up."

Fuuka's eyes were still closed, and she swallowed before continuing. "And…I think I would have been swallowed too if I tried pushing through it. That's part of why I couldn't talk to any of you." Her face was paler than usual, and for a moment Mitsuru could only imagine what that cut off and isolation could have been like for her.

"Was that the same for Akihiko and myself, then?" At Fuuka's nod, she found herself leaning forward. "I'd like to know, what did you mean by 'echoes?' What did you hear bouncing back when you tried to contact the two of us?"

"There was…Desire. And a lot of it." The junior's face had turned a faint pink, and Mitsuru was grateful that Yamagishi's eyes were closed as the junior thought back, since her own cheeks were starting to burn.

"I don't suppose…You could tell who that was coming from?" Fuuka's eyes flew open in confusion at that, and she stared at Mitsuru. The senior told her face not to go any redder than it was…Only to feel the color wash out of her face from shock at Fuuka's next words.

"Wh-But, Mitsuru-senpai, I thought it was coming from both of you? I felt the same thing when I touched Akihik-senpai's mind, at the end. Some of that was still sort of…Sticking to both of you." The junior glanced at her laptop lid before speaking again. "In fact, I couldn't really tell the difference between you and him.

"I think that Akihiko-senpai might know more. I could ask-"

"Thank you Yamagishi, but there's no need." Her voice sounded curiously far away, but she could also hear and feel strength seeping into it. "I can talk with him myself."


	2. Chapter 2

**(Author's note: With thanks to Exhile87 for the great review and feedback. Both the advice and encouragement are deeply appreciated, and very helpful.)**

* * *

"…This isn't about going back?" Shinjiro's eyes and voice were both suspicious. Akihiko stayed where he was, deciding that it wouldn't be smart to close the distance yet. If he trusted sitting down, he would have. But by this time of the semester, the back streets were looking worse than usual. He didn't want to guess what some of the grime coating the steps and clinging to the edges of the concrete was made up of.

"Nah, nothing like that." Akihiko replied, trying to keep his own posture calm and easy going, to prove that this wasn't going to be one of those talks. "I just wanted to talk with you. Catch up on things."

The air thrummed as a train left the station above their meeting spot, screaming past overhead with a hiss and a rattle as it gained momentum. Shinji kept watching him, not phased by the noise or the wind the train stirred up. Akihiko tried to mimic that, keeping his gaze even and never fully looking away.

This was one of those tests he kept finding himself having to pass; seeing who would blink or break eye contact first. He'd figured out that the chances of Shinjj really listening to what he had to say only went down if he was the first one to falter. And today, he needed someone good at listening.

"Catch up on things, Aki?" Shinji tested the word, sounding doubtful and only looking more wary.

Akihiko found himself thinking of a time when they'd been a trio; himself, Miki, and Shinji. There'd been at least one occasion where they got to visit a zoo just outside the city, after the orphanage had saved up enough or gotten a nice chunk of money from a donation. He remembered how they'd watched one particularly restless tiger pace back and forth in its pen, and found himself wondering when Shinji and the tiger had switched places. There was a cautious glint in his friend's eyes, and even under that thick coat, Akihiko could see his shoulders tense and relax as he took in those words.

And all of that didn't bother him _nearly_ as much as when Shinji's caution shifted into something else, and he gave Akihiko a knowing, smug smile.

"So you cut boxing club to 'catch up on things?' I can smell the bullshit all over that." Shinji chuckled as Akihiko's eyes flew wide open. "Don't give me that look. I know the schedule, even if I don't go."

Dammit, that wasn't fair. It was a lot harder to keep eye contact going when his friend had a smirk like that. Akihiko was still scrambling for words when Shinji shut his eyes and rolled his head back, taking in a deep breath. And ridiculously enough, under all that, Akihiko thought he could hear his friend's stomach give a hungry growl.

"Alright, Aki. Cut the crap, and tell me what this is really all about." When he heard that, Akihiko could finally let his breath out and also close his eyes. He also knew what to say by then, even his voice did feel a little shaky.

"…H-hagakure?" Akihiko managed. "I'll even let you treat me, in honor of cutting club."

He didn't even wince when Shinji punched him in the arm as he stood up.

o-o-o

At first, Shinjiro was surprised when Aki pulled him over to a side booth, instead of their usual spot at the counter. But as Aki started talking, he could see why.

Although the place was so loud, he doubted anyone would overhear unless Aki jumped onto the table and started yelling out every detail. Instead, his friend kept his head low as they put their orders in, his eyes having a hard time on whether they were going to focus on Shinji, or on the much stained and worn table.

Turned out that Gekkoukan's golden boy was right, though. This WASN'T some half assed plan to get him back into the summon-by-suicide club. It was just talking about what Kirijo's team had been doing. And why their last mission was causing Aki to study the patterns in the wood grain so carefully.

"So…That's how it turned out." Aki finished, shifting from looking at the table to the bowl in front of him. "I don't know what else happened between the Shadow and…And when we came to, and it's messing me up."

He looked like he was going to try to say something else, but then Shinji swallowed his ramen and decided Akihiko needed one of those pep talks he kept hearing about…Or enough poking and ribbing to light a fire under him, and get Aki to stop looking miserable and eat.

"Stop worrying about it, Aki. You didn't go any further then that." Shinjiro cut in before Aki could open his mouth again. He didn't bother with being anything other then blunt; that was the only thing that got through Aki's skull in the past.

"…What makes you so sure?" Aki only poked at the noodles in his bowl, not showing any sign of being hungry.

"Because you don't have the balls to put moves on a girl, or ask one out. OR take advantage of one." Normally, Shinjiro didn't break off staring whenever Aki's ears went pink; it was too much fun to get a rise out of him and a shame to let it go to waste. But just then, he was starting to feel a little sorry for his old friend. Besides, the broth in his bowl was getting to slurping level and temperature.

He could hear Akihiko's voice go tight as he picked up the bowl, though. For a moment, he could also see why Aki wore those dumb gloves everywhere. They had to make holding a hot ramen bowl a lot easier.

"What makes you think that was even me? I would never-"

"Ogle the S.E.E.S Ice Queen? Must've been imagining a lot of those times you looked at her. You've been a team for…What, three years now? Four?" Time had been weird, after he left. And he wasn't going to dwell on it, just then. Not when Aki was still focused on being a stubborn ass.

"That's long enough for even you to notice." Shinjiro paused to take a gulp out of the ramen bowl. Even when he stretched things out by savoring the flavor, Aki didn't say anything.

Which clearly meant that more prodding was needed.

"Well, Aki? Do you **not** like her?" He looked over the bowl's rim and watched as Akihiko screwed his eyes shut, like he'd just swallowed something bitter and not flavored with Hagakure's secret spice. The bowl made a dull clunk as Shinji set it down, and ran his hand along his mouth to wipe away anything left.

"Yeah, you've got the hots for her, but you didn't take advantage of her because it's not you. So, you're still the same dull Aki, who still hasn't gotten laid." At least, it was the same dull Aki that glared at him. Shinjiro waited for the rejoinder…Only to be disappointed as the boxer slumped, and went back to looking at his bowl and chopsticks.

"Yeah, but…It's not just that. I still can't remember what…What I did."

He was starting to get irritated, the more Akihiko stammered and stared at his ramen bowl. Maybe because his own was empty, and Aki had barely touched his.

"Then think back on it, piece by piece, until you **can** remember. Hell, you're a preppy honor student now. Write it down, **study** it if you have to."

"It's just so…Embarrassing-" The bowls rattled when Shinjiro slammed a fist into the table.

"Fucking hell, Aki, stop pussyfooting around! When did you turn into such a wuss!" Amazing how _that_ was the only part of the conversation that made heads turn, and carried over all the noise in the bar.

"…Shinji?" Aki was looking between him and the other patrons with the beginnings of a nervous smile on his face. And damn if Shinjiro couldn't pick out a slight touch of _smugness_ underneath that. "You know how I was saying I didn't want to draw atten-"

"…Shut up and eat your fucking ramen."

o-o-o

Mitsuru Kirijo did not procrastinate. She wouldn't be a valedictorian candidate, or capable of managing student council, S.E.E.S., and still be able to climb Tartarus at the end of the day if she didn't know her goals, and how to complete them all on time.

Repeating that to herself did not, however, make it any easier for her to justify why she hadn't approached Akihiko yet.

One part of her put in rational terms; they'd both been busy over the last day and today, with barely a minute to call their own. It only made sense that she hadn't been able to find him, or ask him about the night of the seventh. The other half of her mind was blunt, and made her face burn if she dwelled on the thought for too long; that speaking with Akihiko on what had happened between them was easier to plan for than to actually do.

"Get it through your head; we _need_ better regulations then this." A voice sliced through her thoughts, pulling Mitsuru back to the present.

The student council room was dearly in need of an upgrade, she decided. A few fans stirring the air were not enough to keep the room from feeling stuffy, or from mugging up her focus and making it easier for her thoughts to drift. It also wasn't doing much to improve the attitudes of the students around her.

Tempers were starting to flare between the disciplinary and maintenance heads. Any other day, and she would have tried to steer their tempers in a different, more productive direction. But just then she was having trouble with simply focusing on the conversation. Her thoughts insisted on wandering back to meeting with Akihiko in the hallway, and how he failed to turn up until just before eleven last night.

She only knew he'd come back when the entry door creaked on its hinges, the way it always did when someone tried to sneak it open. (That was always why she never asked the administrators to fix it, despite numerous requests from the others.) And following that, she heard foot falls in the hallway below her, followed by one of the doors opening and clicking shut.

She'd planned on talking to him then, only to find herself pulling open another book instead, and trying to lose herself in it before falling into a fitful sleep. Her dreams had been full of odd sensations, and constantly interrupted as she jolted awake before dropping back into another hazy memory.

Hidetoshi stabbed his finger against the chalkboard to prove his point, cutting off those thoughts.

"You'll be putting a ban down on public affection next, Hidetoshi." Quite suddenly, those files seemed much more urgent then the debate. Mitsuru looked down at them, tucking the paper away with the sort of efficiency that only came from being single minded about a task, and trying _very_ hard to let the conversation just slip past her.

"And would that really be such a bad thing?" She could hear the sneer in the disciplinary rep's voice. Her hands moved over to the textbooks next to the files, deciding that it would be good arrange them according to weight. "A little public _control_ wouldn't go amiss. It might even cut down on reckless behavior. You've heard the rumors about that pair of students at Shirikawa…"

The words on the pages didn't form in her mind. She found herself looking between the letters, between the lines, and in the blank spaces she could see herself, reflected back in a mirror…

_For a moment, she meets her reflection and sees her own eyes. She wonders if they've always looked so clouded, but that question is driven out of her mind as she takes in the rest of the mirror._

_The muscles on Akihiko's back are laid out for her to look at. She watches her reflection as her hands run up his spine, and soon she realizes that she can feel her way along just by trailing over his skin._

_When she buries her face in his shoulder, she can faintly taste salt as she presses her lips to his skin. It brings back a flare of memories; Akihiko boxing in the gym, in his room, not stopping until he's completely spent and drenched. This is how he's supposed to taste, she realizes. Hard work and sweat._

_His muscles are tight under her hands, until she runs her fingers over them and rubs at his back and shoulders. Every muscle she touches is so tense…_

_She pauses as she thinks that, wondering why he's like this. But then he breathes against her neck, and she's more focused on loosening his muscles then wondering why she has to do so._

"But sir, is that really fair?" A quiet voice piped up. "Those two had to be hospitalized after getting Apathy Syndrome. Miss Kirijo, don't you think that-"

Mitsuru held up her hand to cut off whoever was speaking, and didn't bother trying to find the person. Instead she fixed the two debaters with a disapproving look, and held it until they broke off their argument.

"What I think is that people's anxiety over tests, and the heat, is getting the best of everyone. I suggest holding off on anymore meetings until after exams, once people have given their heads time to cool." She didn't think that she would be able to handle another debate induced flashback very easily, either. When she stood up, that sealed the matter; there was barely a murmur of protest as she collected her books, and left before her heartbeat completely muffled her hearing.

o-o-o

Akihiko had a hard time thinking of another time where a sheet of paper and pen had given him so much grief. Hell, entrance exams were starting to feel like they'd be a cakewalk, compared to grilling himself over this.

"…Why did I listen to him?" He asked his desk, looking away from his pen pad for a moment. "It's not like he ever had girl problems."

'_No,_' a small voice in his head reminded him. '_He just knows you well enough that he doesn't NEED to have experience with girls.'_ Akihiko bit off a groan as that thought bubbled up. At this point, he felt ready to deal with the parade of girls that lurked outside the gym, instead of anything involving Mitsuru and bed sheets. _Those,_ at least, he had practice with. But here…

In the past, his room was where he went for privacy and some peace of mind. But as Akihiko sat at his desk and tried to write out what all he could remember, it held nothing but distractions. His eyes drifted away from scribbled half recalled memories to rest on his equipment, and stayed fixed on the punching bag.

He mentally yelled at himself as he pushed the chair back, stood up, and walked over to it before settling into his usual stance. The moves weren't as flurried as they were yesterday in club; partially because he'd already worked out a lot of his nervous energy, but also because he didn't want a repeat with his shoulder.

Once his arms started to burn, he left the bag swinging and turned back to his desk. He looked back down at the notepad, wincing as he compared the distractions to his progress. That made four punching bag exercises, compared to two lines of words.

For a moment, he just glared at the ink and paper, like he could intimidate them into showing him more. But finally, he gave a defeated sigh before scooping up the pen and notes and heading to the lobby. Less privacy, but also less distractions that way. When he reached the common room, the only thing he could do to hold off writing was to open the windows to let some air in. Then all that was left was to sink into his usual spot on the couch, and see if he couldn't knock something out of his head.

Akihiko had a moment of pride when he wrote down another line, up until he re-read it and felt his stomach and heart give another lurch at what he read. Amazing how 'touch' and 'Mitsuru' made his face burn when they were in the same sentence, and his shoulders bunch up on their own from the blurry images those words brought up.

Shinji's ribbing from earlier didn't help. It wasn't just Mitsuru's touch that came to mind as he tried to stretch his thoughts back, but how good it felt, and how much he enjoyed it…

The notebook hit the table with a **slam**. It even made _him_ flinch, and as stillness settled back over the dorm, Akihiko had a moment to be very grateful the others were still out.

"This isn't working…" He groaned to himself, burying his face in his hands. He felt his thoughts go back to swimming in slower and slower circles, like that outburst had burned up the rest of his energy.

An hour of picking through his mind (and flinching back from what he found) left his mind shot and his eyelids heavy. Akihiko sank back against the arm of the couch, and blinked up at the lights. His feet felt too heavy to stand on, and the curtains and light switches felt like they were miles away.

The notebook got a cautious look, before he reached out to snatch it off the table. He held it up and thumbed at the pages until he hit a blank set. It wasn't quite as good as a magazine, but it would work. And when he put it over his eyes, Akihiko was tired enough that he couldn't tell the difference. He already told himself that he'd only give his eyes and head five minutes.

o-o-o

An empty lobby greeted Mitsuru when she stepped inside, much to her relief. Mitsuru let the door swing shut behind her, with the familiar squeak of hinges and dull click as the handle set. She pocketed her motorcycle keys, while still taking in the empty room.

Until a groan and mumble from the nearest couch showed Mitsuru that it wasn't quite as empty as she expected. Even though her nerves were still stretched from the council meeting, she managed to **not** jump. Instead, she moved forward on quiet feet to peer over the back of the couch, and see who was resting there.

A familiar shock of white hair greeted her, with a red vest to match. Mitsuru only hovered over him for a moment, before she felt a smile curl along her face when she saw the notebook over his eyes. She stayed silent as she moved around him to take a seat on one of the armchairs.

Akihiko remained oblivious through it, his chest still rising and falling, with the note pages rustling a little as he breathed. He only made a small mumbling sound, before rolling onto his side.

_'He used to not be able to do that without worrying about his ribs.'_ She thought as she watched. Her mind slipped back, wondering how many Sundays they both spent in the lobby like this. She'd always warned him about overexerting himself, and with a little bit of grumbling and sulking, he'd always agree to take it easy on their days off. That time had been oddly satisfying; even if neither of them exchanged many words, either because he was sleeping or she was reading, it made for good company.

Akihiko was talking in his sleep again, squirming restlessly on the couch. The book fell off his face, and she let it tumble on the ground, paying more attention to him. He'd been-

No, that was false. They'd _both_ been adamant about not showing their faces, or really looking at each other, for too many days. At the moment his face had a pinched expression on, and Akihiko continued to mutter as he twisted deeper into the couch cushions.

Mitsuru slid up from the chair and started to move over to him, wondering if there was some way to make him rest easier. Or failing that, waking him up from whatever was hounding him in his sleep. She'd only managed three steps when her boot pressed against something that crinkled and rustled under her step. When she kneeled down, her fingers wrapped around paper and felt fresh ink on some of the pages. She switched it between hands, and brought it up to her eyes, showing her that it was the notebook from Akihiko's face.

The pages were covered in his handwriting as well. Most of the words were written in a thick, heavy hand. The letters were practically pushed into the paper out of frustration.

'Woke up next to Mitsuru. Don't know how I got there.' The next line picked up the thought, with some of the words scribbled out. 'Something almost made me take advantage of her. Don't know why or how, but it felt like desire-

Lust. An impulse….' The words went on, getting more and more scrawled. Her eyes scanned over them, and Mitsuru could feel her heart pound in her ears as she read.

Akihiko chose that moment to almost fall off the couch with a muffled groan, and hung at the edge with one foot dangling off. Mitsuru let her hand and the notes fall to her side, and gently placed her other on Akihiko's shoulder.

"Akihiko…Wake up. Please, I need to talk to you."

o-o-o

_His dreams don't bring relief. He can't escape those hazy phantom thoughts, even after trying to exorcise them onto paper. Only instead of looking at words, he finds himself staring at Mitsuru. And at her hair and her skin, which his fingers can't get enough of._

_His hands can't find one spot to rest at._ _They trail everywhere over her body once she shrugs out of her blouse. One traces the line of her spine going down her back, the other strokes at her hair. Then suddenly they're tumbling, and he finds her doing the same to him. One moment she's rubbing at his back, easing out whatever exhaustion is in his muscles, and then her hands are running through his hair._

_There's still a nervous, anxious voice buzzing away in his head. He can't swat it out completely, and listening to it for too long makes an uneasy feeling rise up and quiver in his heart, and makes it pound from something other then eagerness._

_She's whispering something into his ear, and in a moment he makes out his name._

_"Akihiko…" Then there's hands on his shoulders, first resting on them, and then giving them a hard shake._

_"Akihiko!" The shaking gets worse, making him wobble. He stares at her, confused at how insistent she sounds._

_"Akihiko, _**_wake up._**_"_

Akihiko's eyes were slow to open, and at first he only had room in his mind for confusion. Gradually, his thoughts started to shove themselves into order, starting with wondering where his notebook had gone, and how long he'd been out. Those in turn scrambled out of the way when he realized that Mitsuru was still hovering in front of him. His fingers tightened around a couch cushion instead of bed sheets, telling him that he wasn't still asleep.

"Mitsuru?" It took all his effort to keep that name steady.

"It looked like you were having a bad dream." He could see how her eyebrows were slightly knitted together, and that faint downturn of her lips; signs that Mitsuru was concerned, which gave him a strange, pulling feeling deep in his chest. It didn't help that having her so close was making his heart pound faster.

"Y-yeah, well, something like that." He inched himself back until he was sitting up. Mitsuru took that as a sign to step away, but to his surprise (and just a bit of unease) she didn't excuse herself.

So, he took it up on himself to do that instead. He swung his feet off the couch and started to stand.

"Thanks for that. I wasn't planning to sleep for so long, and-" The words were cut off when he saw where his notebook was, and he had to tear his eyes away from her hands to look at her face. "That's…" He trailed off, not sure how to ask for it.

"Yours. I know." There was an odd note in her voice as she said that, almost guilty. Which might have meant-

Hell. It did mean that. He could see that it was opened to where he'd written and crossed out things that he was _not_ proud of.

"I apologize if I invaded your privacy," '_Actually_,' that voice in the back of his mind said, '_it was more like you hit the curl up and die switch in the privacy section.'_ He started to wonder if it wasn't possible to sink in between the couch cushions and out of sight, or have a stray earthquake suddenly open a hole in the dorm he could fall into.

"However…I cannot help but be grateful I saw it." A jolt rocked through him when he heard that, and it was enough to shock any embarrassment out of him. Mitsuru didn't comment on how his mouth hung open from it, though. Instead, she kept her eyes on him as she continued. "I've been wondering about the same things, and wanted to know more."

"Y-you have? Why?" His knees relaxed as he asked that, putting him back on the couch (which stayed solid, despite what he was still wishing for) and looking up at Mitsuru. She kept standing, and for a moment he wanted to offer her a seat next to him. That only lasted until he was reminded just how uncomfortable that would be.

"It's because…I have to confess, my memory isn't clear on what happened. When I try to think back on it, I can only get bits and pieces, if that." As she kept talking, he couldn't help but notice how flustered she seemed. Her posture was just different and stiff enough to show that. When he realized that, he also understood why she'd seemed so different in the hallway. And, he also started to realize why there was a faint tug on his heart whenever he saw her like that.

"It's the same for me," he made himself say that out loud, and tried to hold her face in his sight, despite the loops his stomach started to make. "I was trying to remember with that, but it wasn't doing anything for me." He was glad when she didn't press by asking why.

"I don't know how to remember, but…I keep feeling like it's just on the edge of my mind, and I don't know how to grab it." He would've gone on, but something in Mitsuru's face made him pause.

"I know that look." He said, his own eyes narrowing to match hers. He could already recognize that telltale glint building up behind her eyes. "You've got something on your mind. What is it?"

"Akihiko, do you have any plans for tonight?" She asked instead, and only gave him space to blink before giving him another look, and this one demanded an answer.

"N…No. Why are you asking?" He stared at the hand suddenly in front of his face, waiting for him to take it.

"Then in that case, I'd like you to accompany me." She saw the question on his face, and continued. "To Shirikawa Boulevard. I hate leaving things unfinished or unresolved, and we have business there that needs to be completed."


	3. Chapter 3

**((Author's note: Apologies for the delay. It took a long time to write and edit this part to satisfaction. Still, this marks the last chapter, and I hope that you enjoy reading the final installment of this story. Cheers and huzzah!))**

* * *

"…How much longer is it?" Mitsuru felt her jaw clench, and had to throttle the impulse to be snappish with the answer.

"Ten more minutes until midnight." Despite her best efforts, it still came out clipped, and across the table she could just see Akihiko scowl when he heard her. For a moment, she simply tried to look at her tea instead and ignore his frown. She didn't last long, and gave an audible sigh before looking up.

"Akihiko, it's only been five minutes since you last asked. Try to have some patience." She found herself looking at his bangs instead of his eyes, still not comfortable with the latter. She saw that Akihiko was also doing the same, glaring at some space just above her face. And like her, he didn't last long before his annoyance drained out in a sigh.

"…I know." He went from looking at her bangs to turning his paper napkin over in his hands. "I know, but I can't help it. Waiting to get in the ring isn't as bad as _this._"

They had only managed to get a block in to Shirikawa before both of them balked. In a way, Mitsuru was relieved that Akihiko had hesitated at the same moment she had. Any other time, she might have chided him for showing such reluctance, but once her eyes fell on the buildings, lit up and glowing in the evening air and with so many watching eyes milling around the streets, it was hard to convince her feet to take another step towards them. So instead, they'd stepped away, towards a late night café that sat just on the corner between the ritzy and seedy parts of the neighborhood.

Mitsuru felt her face soften as she looked at him. "Just try to last a little longer, Akihiko. Do you want anything else to drink?" '_Just none of those energy drinks.'_ She told herself. He was strung up enough as he was without more caffeine. As if to echo her thoughts, he shook his head.

"No thanks. All I'd want is something like Mad Bull, and I don't need to be more jumpy then I already am." She watched his hands, and saw that he was being truthful. His fingers started to methodically shred his napkin, folding and then tearing it into long and even strips of paper.

However, that didn't stop her when the waiter reached their table. "Water for him." She said, talking right over his protests. The waiter only blinked for a moment, before looking between her and Akihiko, and nodding to Mitsuru. Akihiko only grumbled as a glass of ice water was plunked down in front of him, and went from his napkin to fiddling with the lemon slice on the glass.

"It's for flavor, Akihiko. And I would feel better if you had at least something to drink." If she was any judge, he was like her and wouldn't be able to stomach any solid food until after they'd made an investigation.

She had to keep from shaking her head as Akihiko forgot the lemon, and almost drained the glass in one gulp. He didn't look up at her immediately, staring at the empty glass and bits of ice cube in it instead.

"Mitsuru, I know I asked this, but how much longe-"

"Akihiko! Relax." Another moment, and she had a hard time following her own advice. Tracing the edge of her own glass didn't help, and she found her eyes wandering from her own hands to Akihiko's. Those strips started to get thinner as he ran out of napkin and moved onto tearing them into smaller pieces.

"You realize that I still like you, right?" She suddenly said to Akihiko's gloves. They froze mid tear, and she slowly forced her eyes up to see that he was looking _at_ her, instead of beyond her, or just to the side. His eyes still darted away from her, and she found herself doing the same. That tight knot from before was back, but it had also settled in her throat. "As…A friend." She managed to say around it, and felt it loosen just a fraction.

"I want to figure this out because I miss seeing you, and working with you…And your company as well." She also missed being able to speak to his face, instead of some point just above or below it. "And I want to get that back-"

"If we can?" She was surprised at Akihiko's words, and the tone behind them. "Don't get the wrong idea; I want the same thing." His voice sounded heavy with pain, saying that, and hearing him tugged that knot back into place. "I just…Wonder if we can get that back."

He left his pile of napkin shavings near his plate, and started reaching for a new one when everything went green. The clatter from the café and street noise all suddenly cut out, leaving them with the familiar lonely void of the Dark Hour.

"…We only have an hour to get back to Shirikawa and make the investigation. Let's hurry." She forced herself to her feet as she said that. And when she glanced up again, saw that Akihiko was already heading to the door.

o-o-o

The walk from the café to the hotel (He tried not to think of it as Fleurs de Champs, despite what the sign said. Something about the French name made him want to look back at Mitsuru, and he didn't want to be watching her when they were so close to the hotel.) cost them a few minutes. They had to spend a few more picking their way past the police cars and coffins gathered outside as well. "A sad side effect of the mission," was all Mitsuru said, as they squeezed between one cluster of coffins and the open door of a squad car. But all the obstacles stopped at the door; once they forced that open, and stepped inside, the only thing they found waiting for them was a long empty set of hallways.

The sound of the briefcase clicking open echoed loud off the walls. Akihiko tried not to focus on it as he handed Mitsuru her Evoker before strapping his own around his waist. With only a few more steps inside, he began to wonder if they actually needed the weapons. There weren't any shadows slinking around now. None of the scavengers stayed after the top predator was gone, and took its protection with it. That didn't keep the walls from having a sick oily after taste, though, And a faint feeling of something **wrong** lurking just out of sight, as much as Akihiko tried not to focus on it.

…Or maybe that was just his nerves talking, as they got a few steps closer to that room all this trouble had started in.

"Mitsuru?" It didn't feel right to raise his voice there, and he wasn't ready to move closer to Mitsuru so he could whisper. So instead he settled on staying within arm's reach.

"I…" Her voice matched his. "I didn't predict such an ambience here. But…I will admit that it is unnerving."

"Y-yeah…" He swallowed around a suddenly dry throat, and forced his words to be more even. "Let's hurry up and solve this."

Mitsuru nodded, and he fell into step behind her as she led the way down the halls and into the deeper parts of the building. Past some of the doors he knew they'd find groups of coffins, and they wouldn't be holding patrons. There was police tape tacked around those doors, with the yellow color leeched out by the Dark Hour. What was left was pale and sickly, with only the letters spelling 'Do Not Cross' still clear.

He had no problem with following those instructions, and left those rooms for a single unmarked door on the second floor. They hesitated once they cleared the stairs, both pausing at the spot where they'd met the other two S.E.E.S members.

The door in the middle of the hallway looked unremarkable compared to the fuss downstairs. It almost didn't feel right, to freeze up over seeing such a plain object, but thinking that didn't keep his heart from pounding loud in his ears. Akihiko tore his eyes away from the door, and gingerly reached for Mitsuru's shoulder. His fingers only hovered over her before he pulled them back.

"Ready?" He asked, and at her nod took one step at a time towards the room.

o-o-o

Akihiko held the door open, not looking inside. Mitsuru was taken back by the gesture, and for a moment just stood there, trying to figure out if he'd ever looked more out of place or uneasy. If it had been at school or the dorm, she'd be flattered, but the miasma from the Dark Hour in the air turned the gesture into something much more surreal.

"…Whenever you're ready." He murmured, his voice tight. She took a quick look at his shoulders, saw how they were tensed and hunched forward. His hands were twitching, and she realized that if she didn't go in quickly, the police would have another vandalized room to look through, this time ransacked.

"Thank you, Akihiko." She only got a grunt in reply as she passed him. Her stomach did an odd lurch as she stepped through the door, while her mind hummed with a sudden nervous energy. She forced herself to breath in deeply, and keep the buzzing in her mind from washing over her. She was going to do this search properly, and _not_ allow any leftover emotions to get the better of her.

The carpet inside muffled her footfalls, and Mitsuru stopped short of the bed, giving it a scrutinizing look. After five seconds, all that she got was the impression that the hotel management had sunk a good chunk of their budget into velvet and satin coverings.

"Any luck?" She'd rarely heard Akihiko sound so anxious, or uncertain. She managed to shake her head. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw him start to stalk around the edges of the room, like he expected any part of it to lunge at him if he got to close. She wanted to tell him to calm down…But something about that saying that felt hypocritical. This place also felt like it was starting to play with her nerves, despite what she'd told herself.

"It's no good." He growled. "I'm not getting anything. How the hell are we supposed to figure this out?"

"I don't know!" She snapped, and instantly regretted it when he turned his back on her. The room was turning into something more like a locked box, stifling and frustrating in equal turns.

"I'm sorry, Akihiko." He stopped midstep, not quite turning to look at her but still listening, as Mitsuru fought to speak over that growing white noise in her ears. "I'm not sure what we need to do-"

A jolt snapped through her mind, cutting her words off. That noise in her head changed into a high pitched wail, and in a moment Mitsuru realized that she could just hear Penthesilea screaming a warning.

She ducked a split second later, and felt the air across her back ripple as something swished through the air, missing her by a nail's width. Mitsuru dropped to the floor, staring at Akihiko as he turned around at the sudden motion.

His eyes were wide, and for a change it wasn't because he was looking at her. Mitsuru struggled to turn as well, but she could already tell what had to be behind her; the answer was all over the shock in Akihiko's face, the way Penthesilea was trying to push into the front of her mind…And that faint hissing that started to fill the room.

"Mitsuru? I thought you said they never stuck around, after the big ones got K.O'd." Akihiko's voice was low, just barely audible over the noise.

"…I did." She whispered back. "And if I had the luxury of more time, I'd analyze this further-" Her words were cut off as that hiss rose, sounding like the air was being ripped apart.

"We can't let it out of this room; not with so many people close by…And I don't think it will allow us out, either." She hoped that Akihiko was reaching for his Evoker. The metal edge of her own was cold, just touching the tips of her fingers. And even though she knew it was better then a sword, Mitsuru couldn't keep from cursing the fact that they didn't bring their weapons.

_'A bad oversight. And it might cost you dearly, if you don't move fast.'_

"Yeah but…Where the hell is it!" Akihiko spat that out, although it felt like his words were cutting through a sudden fog that was spreading through the room. Mitsuru could feel the corners of her vision start to blur, worse then what usually happened in the dark hour.

"Not in front of us, clearly. Perhaps it-"

It was just a blur of motion at the edge of her sight; a patch of black that was just a little bit darker then the rest of the room. Mitsuru whirled, drawing her Evoker and putting it to her head in one smooth motion. She didn't allow herself to hesitate, and pulled the trigger as she rounded on the shape.

Over the ringing in her ears from the boom of the Evoker, Mitsuru could hear the crackle and squeak of ice as it suddenly formed. The temperature in the room plummeted, and Mitsuru felt a surge of satisfaction as the newly made ice plunged into the Shadow-

A breath later a half gasp, half scream from Akihiko cut into her ears, and the Shadow in front of her shattered in response. She was looking at something twisted and unnatural in one moment. In the next, it was gone, and she saw Akihiko getting flung into the wall.

"Mits-" He was gasping over the pain. She could barely hear him, as the way he thudded against the wall seemed impossibly loud. "Mind-"

_'Mind control.'_ She felt a chill run down her back at the thought. _'Something took root here with that ability.'_

The room seemed to ripple from where Akihiko struck the wall, as if the place had a heartbeat. And Akihiko hadn't slumped to the floor yet. In defiance of gravity, he hung there, slack and breathing hard from the attack. Just at the edge of where his body met the wall, she could see a thin thread of something dark starting to twist out through the plaster and wallpaper. As the wall pulsed like thick black vein, Mitsuru found herself wondering why nothing ever seemed to follow her plans, or cooperate.

Her feet started to move at that thought, pushing her towards Akihiko. She had to get him away from whatever was leaking out of that wall, before-

…Before…

Her thoughts were slowing down, and her feet paused with them. Mitsuru could just feel panic trying to claw at her as she realized that. Penthesilea strained in the back of her mind, trying to break free of what was slowly draping itself over her.

Mitsuru's hand dropped from her head, the Evoker bouncing against her leg for a moment as her arm went numb and listless. She stared at Akihiko as he tried to thrash and tear himself loose from where he was pinned, his movements getting sloppier, and slower. And yet…All she could wonder was _why_ he felt any need to do that.

An oily sensation was leaking into her thoughts, making her skin crawl even while her thoughts started to float in an almost blissful state. She couldn't shake off that feeling of something coating her mind, and it was building up so much that the sensation was close to making her gag. She couldn't-

_She can't get it out of her throat. Even though she has her arms wrapped around Akihiko, there's still something uncomfortable around her. It sticks against her skin, and leaves a faintly rotten taste on her tongue. It makes her mind buzz, and stops up the frantic rhythm of her heart._

_Akihiko's cheek is suddenly pressed against hers, and his breath is hot against her ear. Something in her mind says to just curl against his mouth, turn around and press herself against him. But those thoughts are coming more sluggishly, and she feels like she's gone from floating to slogging through a thick, sickly sweet syrup._

_Akihiko's breath goes from deep to unsteady, fluttering and gasping. In a moment, she realizes that her own is like that. There's something thick and black wrapped around her lungs, and squeezing against her mind. It's almost like a shadow, clouding her vision-_

_And at that thought, Penthesilea suddenly screams into her mind-_

Penthesilea crashed against her thoughts, like a cold, cutting winter storm. Mitsuru felt her fingers clench, even though the pain in them felt like they'd just thawed out from a cold snap.

_And her face jerks away from Akihiko in response- _

Her hand snapped back up, her fingers drawing tight around the Evoker. In the back of her mind, beyond Penthesilea and the darkness trying to chew up her thoughts, Mitsuru felt her insides clench as his face went hot from anger. She yanked down on the trigger and-

_That syrupy feeling is washed out of her, and the haze in her mind dissolves._

If it was cold before, then the temperature in the room could only be compared to a blizzard as the gun went off.

"You won't take me that easily." The words hissed out from between her teeth, as Mitsuru felt a wave of cold lance from her, and burrowed straight into the wall. The vein around Akihiko suddenly burst open as ice shredded and expanded through it, and finally, _finally_, he fell to the floor as the ice shredded at the wall.

His eyes were glassy as he stared up at her from where he lay, and Mitsuru swallowed as his hand clawed at his own Evoker, tearing it out of the holder and brining it to his head as he lifted himself half off the ground. There was no recognition in his eyes as his finger pulled back, and his head was jolted violently to the side as the gun went off.

Mitsuru felt her body give an answering jolt, as something exploded out of his head and crashed into her. Her ribs felt like they were going to break instead of bend from the force. Mitsuru realized that her feet weren't touching the ground in the same instant the floor suddenly dug into her back. It stung, making her cough as she tried to hold herself up on her arms.

Akihiko hadn't let go of the Evoker, and his eyes were still fixed on her, blank and uncomprehending. Just past him, she could see something trying to push its way out of the wall, the motions painful and jerky thanks to the hole she'd put in it.

"Akihiko, behind you! _Don't-_" Mitsuru wheezed as she watched him. His motions weren't his own; none of that sure steadiness she'd seen in Tartarus, OR that jerky nervousness that had been so common in the last days. Mitsuru wondered if she was about to die without actually seeing him before she went.

That was when Akihiko shut his eyes. Such a motion shouldn't have carried such a profound change, but somehow, it did. In one instant, his eyes were clouded over. And in the next, as they opened, there was a sudden focus in them, sharp and angry. She tried to say something, but then his fingers closed around the trigger.

Light exploded out from him, sudden and sharp enough to stop her heart and burn her eyes, while her ears rang and her body shook from the clap of thunder that enveloped them both. But that was the only pain she felt. And when her vision cleared, there wasn't a trace of live Shadow left in the room; just herself, Akihiko, and the tattered remains of what used to be wallpaper.

Akihiko was staring at the crisped husks of Shadow that still stuck to the wall, slowly dissolving away. His hand rested close by something that looked vaguely like a the rotting remains of a serpent's head, half thrust out of the space where the wall met the floor, and his fingers were curled in such a way that they looked like they wanted to crush bit of red mask that hadn't vanished. Even from where she was laying, Mitsuru could see the anger flashing through his face.

"…Akihiko?" The words felt like cotton in her throat and ears. He was holding himself up with just his hands when he turned to look away from the room, to her.

"…Really…Really wish that hadn't been necessary." The words leaked out of his mouth, and he gave a groan as he tried to push himself up to his knees. Mitsuru mimicked the action, not about to be outdone by him. Somehow, she was able to find more words, as her thoughts began to pick up again.

"Necessary? It was…The same for you, then?" He dipped his head in a nod, and tried to get to his feet.

"Mitsuru. We didn't-"

Tried to. Instead, he wavered for a moment, before falling back into a kneel. With some testing, Mitsuru found that she could get up all the way, and slowly moved over to him.

"I know." She put a hand out for him to take. "I…We didn't do anything regrettable. Or didn't just do anything that can't be healed. That's the point."

His hand gripped at hers with an impressive amount of strength when he took it. He might have said more, as he pulled himself to his feet, but of all things it was a low gurgle from his stomach that stopped him. She was grateful for the break and the opportunity it presented, even if it was making him look oddly pink.

"The Dark Hour won't last forever. When it ends, we should be somewhere away from here…And where we can both get that skipped meal." A quick turn on her heel settled that, and she walked out, eager to put the room behind her.

Still, she couldn't out pace that odd tightness in her chest.

o-o-o

After everything they went through, the end of that night felt anti-climatic. Mitsuru had him stop in an all-night store to get something for them to eat, passed him a few bills to pay him back, and then led the way back to the dorm. It all without much eye contact made between them. He could barely figure out how to stammer out a thanks for the money, or wish her a good night.

And even though she nodded at that last part, before going up the stairs…There was still something that stayed lodged in his stomach, and he didn't think that was due to the convenience store brand noodles. It wasn't like that tight ball of nervousness, either; more like there was a hole in him, a void that wasn't budging even AFTER he got his resolution.

…They HAD wrapped things up, hadn't they?

Things felt oddly muted after that. He couldn't even figure out some good curses to make when his alarm went off, six hours later, and the trip to school went by in a blur. Lessons also droned by, and he sleep walked through writing and memorizing notes.

His side still stung, but that was nothing compared to being stuck in a cast. And the more hours he put between himself and the Dark Hour, the more the pain felt like it was fading. Through the morning and afternoon, he kept one eye on the clock, counting down the minutes until boxing club. **That** at least would feel normal. And after solving things, every muscle in his body was itching for a work out, tensed and ready.

He was still watching the clock at lunch, with only half his thoughts on getting all his rice eaten. It was mid bite that both things were rudely interrupted by his phone. It rattled around in his bag, jingling away and cheerfully oblivious to his attempts to grab it. Akihiko let himself feel a moment of triumph when his fingers finally closed around it, before pulling it up.

After all that effort, the results were disappointing. Just a text message on the screen, and he was about to click it shut when his eyes caught a name at the bottom. Then they darted back to the text.

"Will you please meet me on the roof?

-Mitsuru"

o-o-o

The heat wave that had clutched at Iwatodai was finally dissipating. Up on the roof, she could truly feel and appreciate that. A steady breeze was coming in from the coast, stirring the windmills and giving her a breath of cool air as she waited.

Mitsuru didn't turn around when the door opened and shut, or when a pair of shoes clicked across the roof towards her. She kept her eyes on the windmills instead, watching them spin and counting each rotation. She got to seven when the steps stopped behind her, and heard someone take a few deep breaths before speaking.

"…Mitsuru?" The late afternoon sun was glinting off the windmill edges, and she found herself focusing on those as she spoke.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Akihiko."

"Don't worry about it." He moved over to the corner of her vision, and she chanced a look over at him. His shoulders looked tense, although his face stayed blank and fixed on some point at the horizon.

"It's getting closer to finals. You've been studying, I trust?" She could almost feel him double take at that.

"O-of course." He managed. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Just…Things have been chaotic, to put it lightly. I was worried that it might have disrupted your schedule." His shoes squeaked a little as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Maybe a bit. But it's nothing you have to worry over. I'm not going to crash and burn next week." She only nodded at that, closing her eyes and forcing her lips to tighten into what she hoped looked like an encouraging smile.

"That's good to hear. To be honest, I was concerned that it was otherwise. Considering the circumstances we had to work through." She couldn't help it, and turned to look at him. Seeing his reaction to her next words suddenly became very important.

Akihiko was still staring off into the distance, but his eyes were narrowed, almost glaring. She knew what that expression meant, that he had something still stuck in his mind and bothering him.

"I've been…" She forced a deep breath through both her nose and mouth, but it did little to stop her knot from tightening further. It started to squeeze around her mind as well as her chest, and left room for only one thought; she had to talk to him, and get whatever he was keeping in his head out in the open.

"I've been wondering over what you said last night. About if it was possible to go back." She was shocked at how soft her voice had become, and how it was a struggle to get the words out. "I'd like to hear what you meant by that."

Whatever was lodged in his mind and making him scowl, her question had swept it right out from under him. His eyes were wide, staring, and she thought there was some red creeping up under his cheeks.

"I-it's just…" His hands were flexing at his sides, clenching and unclenching into fists.

"I feel…Different about you now." Something tight snapped across her heart at that, leaving a painful ache. She wasn't certain just how Akihiko could detect that, but he did. He turned to look at her, meeting her eyes for a split second. That pain in her chest faded from the shock of seeing how worried he looked.

"I don't know if this is wrong, but…I haven't been able to think about you without feeling off." He shut his eyes tight, and his mouth twisted into a frown, like he was having to claw and dig for the right words. "Like I'm off balance all the time, and can't figure out how to get back up. And sometimes I even feel sick because…" Mitsuru was certain she wasn't imagining his blush any longer.

"Because when I think back, I don't know if what I felt was _just_ the Shadow talking to me. I-it's like-" Mitsuru found herself cutting him off, and her words came out in a whisper.

"Like there was something already there?" A dunking in cold water wouldn't have shocked him more. Her fingers were quivering, but she forced her hand to move. "I don't know if that's the case for you, but…I've been thinking about it. And starting to think it's right."

She felt her fingers brush against his hand, and that knot in her chest suddenly uncurled.

Even though she knew her face was calm, she could feel her hand shaking as it touched his. It didn't help when he almost jumped from that sudden touch, and she was about to yank her hand back. Right until he wrapped his fingers around hers, and gave them a gentle squeeze to try and steady her hand.

His grip wasn't any less tight, almost desperate. Even through his gloves, Mitsuru could feel the warmth from his hand. His fingers weaved in between hers, trying to hold them steady.

The shaking did lessen, right as she looked right at him. And to her relief, Akihiko had no trouble meeting her eyes.

"This isn't…" He still fumbled for the words. "It's not the same as before. It's just…comforting."

She could see his eyes close, right as a thought flashed across them, and before she could ask what, he drew his hand away from hers. Something in her protested when Akihiko let go. But that same something was instantly silenced when she felt his hands cautiously rest on her shoulder, and brush up against her back.

She was surprised at his touch. It was easy to associate strength with his hands and arms; she'd seen him throw countless punches before. But hesitation? That was something she never would have thought of…And yet it was there, as he rested his hands on her, just barely touching her.

"It's alright, A…Aki." The shortened name felt strange on her tongue, and she tripped over it. But it also put a little more confidence into him, hearing that. She could feel his hands relax as they pulled her closer, and she took a half step forward so they were pressed together. Mitsuru could feel Akihiko let his breath out in a sigh as he clutched at her blouse, and she matched his grip as her hands wrapped around his waist. They'd found their center, finally, after several days of stumbling about, confused and hesitant.

"I…Can't deny that I look at you differently, now. But I still value you," She focused on how his hand pressed against her back as she spoke. "And more then before. You're…Special to me, Aki."

This time, she could look up at him when she used that name, and saw that he had the beginnings of a smile; the first that she'd seen since waking up next to him at the hotel. And Mitsuru felt herself mirroring it, first slowly, and then feeling it spread across her face, along with that gentle feeling slowly curling out of her chest. Akihiko was right; this wasn't like before. In fact, her mind felt startling clear, telling her all about how strange it felt to be pressed against him…But also how oddly nice, too.

Akihiko saw her looking at his mouth, and in response he started to lean forward…Only to pause midway, watching her carefully. She could see the question in his eyes, and Mitsuru answered it by closing the distance, and resting her lips against his.

The rest of her words were lost when they settled into the hug and kiss, but as she curled against him, Mitsuru couldn't help but think she didn't need them.

**The End**


End file.
